The character of Superman also offers up opportunities to see how things might have been. Mark Millar’s Red Son is perhaps the best of the What Ifs - a look at what would have happened if the Last Son of Krypton had ended up landing in Communist Russia.
Superman: Red Son
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett
Review by Adam Berry
Everyone knows that as an infant Kal-El was shot from the dying Planet Krypton in an experimental shuttle, and eventually, surviving countless light-years of travel, crashed landed in a corn field in Kansas, USA. After being raised by the wholesome, loving farm couple of Martha and Johnathan Kent, ‘Clark’ grows up to become Superman- living, breathing embodiment of the American Dream. He stands for Truth, Justice and the American Way, unwavering in his ideology, unshakeable in his faith in the adopted land he calls home.
But what if the small craft carrying the future Superman didn’t crash in America? What if the World had turned just a few thousand miles before the shuttle plowed a fresh trench into Mother Earth?
What if Kal-El landed in 1950’s Communist Ukraine?
Raised by the State in a collective, the soon-to-be-Superman is discovered and brought into the inner workings of Stalin’s Socialist Government. He becomes the ideal Communist- totally committed to the doctrines of the State, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact. He’s literally a poster boy for the Party, an icon for every hard working Communist to aspire to.
There are other analogues here too, a small boy sees his parents murdered in a blaze of gunfire- setting him on the a dark path we are more familiar with in Gotham City; an ambassador from Themiscira leaves paradise to fight for equality in the mans world; an insane scientist becomes obsessed with destroying the man of steel. But there is far more here than just moving the Superman Mythos from the US to the USSR.
Millar has woven a tightly plotted tale packed with twists and turns that will keep you guessing which favoured DC characters will pop up next. Every character is richly fleshed out and twisted in ways that couldn’t be done in regular continuity. It’s clear from the beginning that this is a story that follows a plan, it doesn’t just play to gimmicks or ever lose it’s way- as an Elseworlds tale it confronts ‘truths’ often taken for granted in the ‘regular’ continuity.
Artwise, the book looks fantastic. Bold, crisp linework, with thick, heavy inks that really enhance the feel of this being a work of propaganda; promoting the ideals and party-line of the State. Each character has a distinct ‘look’, from the ‘Kabatnickov’ hat to Superman’s hammer and sickle motif. The designs are original and re-invigorate old characters that have been (perhaps) stagnating for far too long. Every page is a joy to behold, bringing a new idea to the story, or another fresh perspective on a unique vision of how the DC Universe could have been.
On the whole, I’d recommend this book to anyone, even if they have no interest in Superman at all! Most people complain that Superman is too dry, or too embroiled in the ideologies of the USA, but here is an alternative (some might say ‘revisionist’) Superman- a man not motivated by the things we usually associate with him, but driven by a strong desire to free man from the chains of capitalism and oppression. Ultimately though, the alien’s compassion and strength of character shows us what it means to be human, and that location is no barrier for humanity. There are enough new ideas here to keep you turning page after page until, before you know it, you’ve reached the end and are desperate for more!
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